Students are asked to deliver an “elevator pitch” overview of their research in just 3 minutes. This is a presentation competition with a twist – each speaker has just 3 slides which will automatically progress after 1 minute. The format is designed to be rapid paced and concise to give a flavour of the research without getting too technical or detailed. Students are judged on three criteria: Context, Clarity and Charisma. The event is open to students at any stage of PhD or masters-level energy research. Research topics related to technology, modelling, policy, economics, etc. are welcomed. This is an Ireland-wide competition for students in the energy and environmental space. Videos from last year’s National final here. Photos from last year’s energy eventhere.

2015 Winner: Joe Devlin, QUB
“The Two Most Important Gases in Ireland”

~ PAST PARTICIPANTS ~

~ SPONSORS ~

2. Panel Discussion & Guest Speaker

Guest Speaker: Commissioner Aoife MacEvilly, Commission for Energy Regulation, “Challenges of regulation in the transition to a sustainable energy system”

Regulators across Europe are grappling with the challenges of trying to create a market that can integrate renewable energy, whilst trying to provide the correct market signals that reimburses conventional generation for key services and provides competitive prices for the consumer. Commissioner MacEvilly will discuss these challenges from the regulators perspective trying to achieve the transition to renewable energy whilst ensuring a clean, competitive and secure energy supply.

Academic Panel Discussion: “Are we set to reach peak wind; what’s next for Ireland’s energy future?”

There are currently 240 wind farms across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, with a cumulative installed capacity of just over 3 GW. These wind farms supply 25% of the annual electricity demand of the Island. Wind has been the forerunner in achievingIreland’s 2020 CO2 reduction targets. It seems that this role will be accompanied in the next years by an investment of about €500 million from the Irish construction sector and €300 million from the wind energy sector, according to the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA). Undoubtedly, wind power in Ireland is a big business and is the forerunner technology in Ireland’s new sustainable energy system and with no other major challengers. However, as we come close to reaching the maximum wind capacity the Island can manage we must ask the question: “Are we set to reach peak wind; what’s next for Ireland’s energy future?

~ Chair: TBC ~

~ Panel Members~

Assoc. Prof. Andrew Keane, Head of UCD Energy Institute, Head of School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering UCD

Prof. John Fitzgerald, MRIA, Research Affiliate ESRI, Adjunct Professor of Economics at TCD